Efforts underway to save Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth

New group’s mission is to ensure property is revitalized into hub for accessible community programs

Posted 10/9/24

As the sound of an auctioneer’s gavel draws nearer, a newly formed organization is working toward saving and preserving Sandy Point Stables through a community-led initiative.

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Efforts underway to save Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth

New group’s mission is to ensure property is revitalized into hub for accessible community programs

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — As the sound of an auctioneer’s gavel draws nearer, a newly formed organization is working toward saving and preserving Sandy Point Stables through a community-led initiative.

As reported last week, the iconic estate at 30 Sandy Point Farm Road that was once part of the sprawling 280-acre Vanderbilt estate will be auctioned in cooperation with Kylie McCollough and Judy Chace of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty. Listed for $3.5 million, starting bids are expected between $1 million and $2 million. Bidding is scheduled to open on Oct. 17 and close on Oct. 31 via Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions’s online marketplace. 

Sandy Point Stables’ most recent owner, Jessie (Jay) Sargent, a professional equestrian for over 30 years and a highly respected figure in the equestrian world, passed away in September 2022. Her daughter, currently a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., inherited the farm after her mother’s passing. 

Sandy Point Heritage Foundation was recently formed by Genna Heath of Portsmouth and Ingrid Adolphs-Carbotti of Newport to raise community awareness — and cash — to help preserve the estate. The women serve as co-executive directors of the Foundation, which is in the process of seeking non-profit status.

“We’re at a pivotal moment,” Heath stated in a press release. “The property goes to auction on Oct. 17, and the gavel goes down on Oct. 31. We’re asking everyone who has been touched by this place and with whom our mission resonates to help us reach this initial goal and keep this amazing place from being turned into just another development project.” 

The Foundation raised concerns that the property could be acquired by commercial developers “who may strip it of its historical significance and potential as a place for inclusive community engagement.” The mission is to ensure the farm is not demolished or developed, and instead revitalized into a hub for accessible community programs, equestrian activities, and events. 

The Foundation’s immediate goal is to raise at minimum $1.5 million as part of a larger $5 million capital campaign to secure the property and begin necessary renovations. The $1.5 million would allow the foundation to take the first crucial steps toward purchasing the property, the organization said. The remaining funds from the $5 million campaign are planned to be used to repay a potential loan and fund renovations to restore the stables, ensuring that the space can fully serve the community.

“We’re really hoping to rally support for a community venture to save this facility and create some opportunities regardless of people’s backgrounds, socioeconomic status, ability,” Heath said in a brief phone conversation on Tuesday. 

Recording studio in jeopardy

The property’s loss would destroy more than its history in the equestrian arena, according to the Foundation. Stable Sound Studio, a recording studio that has lived within the quarters of Sandy Point Stables for over four decades, is also at risk. 

“The studio that plays a vital role in the local and regional music community, has supported a wide range of genres, including jazz, blues, folk, and alternative music, providing affordable production services to artists who do not have access to mainstream music industry budgets,” the Foundation stated. “Its loss would represent not just the closure of a cultural incubator, but the end of a space that has fostered creative collaboration and supported aspiring and established musicians alike for decades.”

The foundation’s goal is to purchase, preserve, and revitalize the stables to serve as a cornerstone for equine-related programs, cultural events, and music programming that will benefit the entire community. The programs will focus on providing activities such as equine therapy, assisted riding and riding lessons, impacting children, veterans, and individuals with special needs, fostering physical and emotional well-being. 

The programs will seek to secure horses through partnerships with equine rescue organizations to foster positive animal welfare benefits. Additionally, the foundation plans to host music and cultural events that will be accessible to the broader community, ensuring that the property remains a vibrant and inclusive hub for education, recreation, and cultural enrichment. 

“This is not just about preserving a piece of property. It’s about protecting history and heritage, putting the property at the service of the community and prolonging Sandy Point’s legacy,” said Adolphs-Carbotti.

How to Help 

The Sandy Point Heritage Foundation invites “residents, equestrian and music enthusiasts, preservationists, and philanthropists” to contribute to the cause. Donations will go directly toward the purchase and preservation of Sandy Point Stables.

The organization has applied for 501c3 classification, and while the application is in process it has secured the support of a fiscal sponsor to be able to receive tax-deductible donations, according to the Foundation. To donate or learn more about the Foundation and its mission, visit www.sandypointheritage.org or e-mail info@sandypointheritage.org. 

Sandy Point Stables

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.